Microsoft unloads 500 GTA IV Xbox 360 Elite consoles

While folks at the Xbox 360 repair lab know good and well how to strip a console back to its birthday suit, Microsoft is going the opposite direction with its limited run of Grand Theft Auto IV Elites. The console itself is purportedly blasted with automotive quality paint and each one is individually numbered. Apparently, the 500 units -- which look to come with a case full of peripherals -- are only being dished out to press outlets and the like, so it seems your only shot at actually acquiring one is by scouring the second hand market. Or you could just steal one and toss a Molotov cocktail behind as you're getting away -- that'd be fitting, we guess.

[Via Xbox360Fanboy]

[mkeough23 @ Mar 21st 2008 9:09PM]

NiCE...

[Flashpoint @ Mar 21st 2008 10:14PM]

I'm a New Yorker (26 years) and a fan of the GTA series.



NYC for those of you who don't live in it is EXPANSIVE...I'm anxious just to see if driving from Queens to Manhattan on the 59th Street bridge or the Midtown tunnel is modeled perfectly into the game. I'll also be impressed if the drive from Queens to Staten Island is equally detailed.

I can't imagine how good Broadway/Times Square will be. I'd also be happy to see if the developers plant major traffic "during rush hours"

I should be able to steal a plane and fly across all 5 boros rather than drive these routes. If it is true that jets are left out, I'll be sorely dissapointed. For the developers to leave out airplanes because of September 11th - which would most likely mean that Laguardia Airport and JFK aren't included - is STUPID.

[Will @ Mar 21st 2008 10:26PM]

There are going to be helicopters, but no planes. I'm pretty positive 9/11 has nothing to do with it, though. I saw in an article that there's no point to planes because there is no terrain other than the city. I could be wrong, but just because it's NYC, I wouldn't automatically assume it's because of Sep. 11th.

[mkeough23 @ Mar 21st 2008 11:39PM]

@ Jason

wow your cool

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ Mar 22nd 2008 9:11PM]

nice... until MS wipes it clean after it's RMA'd!

[Eduardo Samara @ Mar 21st 2008 9:09PM]

I so want GTA4

[Jack @ Mar 21st 2008 9:10PM]

that molotov reference made my day, err night!!

[Aguiluz @ Mar 21st 2008 9:12PM]

Me too... Assuming Engadget written that sarcastically and not "suggesting" we um, do it?

[Chebwa @ Mar 21st 2008 9:15PM]

That's pretty sad.

[Aguiluz @ Mar 21st 2008 9:14PM]

I'm not a fan of these games nor I plan on playing them in a few years, but hey, I could say it looks nice.

Maybe gun battles will erupt in getting hold of one of these puppies.

[Seth @ Mar 21st 2008 9:28PM]

Engadget is a media outlet... share the wealth!

[richard @ Mar 21st 2008 9:29PM]

wow when they steal a sony exclusive they really promote it

[Mike @ Mar 21st 2008 9:35PM]

Stop being a**holes Engadget, Microsoft and Bungie gave the kid who got his console stripped more than enough stuff.
See: http://hawtymcbloggy.com/2008/03/21/microsoft-finally-makes-things-right/ and http://hawtymcbloggy.com/2008/03/07/bungie-unscrews-previously-screwed-gamer/

Can you be any more anti-Microsoft?

[richard @ Mar 21st 2008 9:42PM]

yes i can

[gozer @ Mar 21st 2008 9:49PM]

wait....do...do you have a crush on Microsoft?

[Alexander @ Mar 21st 2008 10:53PM]

The fact that Microsoft SAID that they woulden't do it and then they did it anyway was the issue.

Also the fact that the guy working the repair shop to instruct someone to scrub something that was obviously not just scribbled on by some 5-year old was just plain stupid.

Combined with the fact that it was Microsoft's own damn fault for the console breaking in the first place...

Yeah. Microsoft fucked up good this time. No amount of "OH, COME ON! THEY MADE GOOD AFTERWARDS!" is going to help.

Total. Utter. Bullshit.

[Mike @ Mar 22nd 2008 12:42AM]

Hmm I see Apple Defense Force is here.

[stunta @ Mar 22nd 2008 2:31AM]

Agree with Mike. Engadget just HAD to start with a negative comment before actually getting to the point. This is like talking to a brat - the more we complain about Apple fanboyism, the more they do it.

Even if Microsoft invented the next best thing to sliced bread, Engadget would start the article like this - "From the company that gave us RRODs and many Vista driver headaches, here comes..."

iEngadget would be a more appropriate name i think.

[Alan Strangis @ Apr 7th 2008 1:44PM]

No kidding! The 'make up' kit was pretty sweet actually.

And for the record, I've got a whole lotta love for MS these days. My initial release 360 RROD'ed on me, and I got my replacement in 9 days from the phone call.

Called them on a Sunday. The return box arrived the following Thursday, I shipped on Friday and the replacement came the Tuesday after that (with a bonus month of Gold tacked on).

[BRISCOS HORSE @ Mar 21st 2008 9:53PM]

Maybe this one will work better than the ones my friends and I own that have all been sent in fore repair.

The third time mine was about to go in for service I found out about the "We make cra$$y products that don't last as long as all the old video games in your attic and are going to charge you 100.00 to fix our cra$$y product award" That Microsoft should win.

Needless to say my friends and I are getting PS3's (Something I never thought I would do)

[austin @ Mar 21st 2008 10:06PM]

Cra$$y. Wtf?

You must mean cla$$y.

[robo @ Mar 22nd 2008 12:35AM]

No, he meant ¢£a$$¥...

[robo @ Mar 22nd 2008 12:36AM]

Wow, that didn't turn out nearly as legible as it did in my head... I guess that means it's time to go to sleep.

[James @ Mar 22nd 2008 6:22PM]

I think he was trying to censor the word "crappy"

[Jon @ Mar 21st 2008 9:54PM]

So when so Engadget have the context to give one away ?

[atomicmatt @ Mar 21st 2008 9:59PM]

I find it funny that every time the 360 or PS3 s mentioned it is all RROD or Sony sucks comments. I have had my 360 since the beginning the first versions have never had 1 red ring of death problem. I now own a PS3 also which is also nice with no problems. I plan on keeping both and play games on both. I also watch media on Both, with different formats that each supports. At least they are not MACS. hahaha jk

[Andrew @ Mar 21st 2008 10:06PM]

The reason is, your one of the 84% who DONT have a failing 360. For the rest of the people who DO have one of the consoles with a SIXTEEN PERCENT FAILURE RATE, they have earned a $400 (or whatever they spent) right to bitch all they want because of horrible design and quality control.

What's the failure rate on PS3s? You can bet your ass it isnt SIXTEEN PERCENT... or even CLOSE to double digit percentages.

Glad you had luck with your 360, but 4 people I know haven't had such luck. Hey, they all own PS3s too, and guess what consoles they own that haven't had any issues.

Now PS2s on the other hand... Don't get me started. Though the slimline I had installed in my truck worked quite nicely...

Anyway, I just want to P L A Y GTA4, That game looks so sweet!

[Alexander @ Mar 21st 2008 10:57PM]

I know a bunch of people who have had PS3's blow up on them. The caps inside them just went ker-poof in the powersupply. Also had a guy where it woulden't play anything. Nada. The drive was fried from the factory.

So yeah. There is a failure rate for PS3's... It's not as high as the 360 because nobody is buying the PS3. Plus, the 360 has been out longer... Which would normally mean you shoulden't be getting units that fail anymore... But hey. It's Microsoft. It's what they do.

[Zeus.:God @ Mar 22nd 2008 10:23AM]

The fact that you're mentioning that they have PS3s, Andrew, is more than enough for me to not believe a single word you said...

They MUST have PS3s if their 360s (which are free to have repaired for the next 2 1/2 years or s) break, right?

[Jimbo @ Apr 2nd 2008 5:04PM]

What a weird little subthread.

360s are a terrible product. Sure, it's gaming, and all gaming reporting is bought and paid for, so reporters act like it's not an insane failure rate, but it's actually quite striking.

To the guy who made up a story about everyone he knows with a PS3 having capacitors blowing up, this is Sony we're talking about. They do have failures, but not stupid crap like a cap blowing out. And the failure rate seems to be below 1% (if you use the type of methodology MS uses to keep their failure rate as low as 16%).

It's about 1,000,000:1 odds you're making this up, and this is the internet, so it's even more likely you're some idiot making things up. Why? Because you're sensitive to your loyalties for one console against another? Who cares?

To the other guy who thinks MS's warranty solves the problem: I enjoy my PS2 I bought in 1999. 360s simply are not going to last tht long, nor is MS going to treat their customers right if they can force an upgrade again. The 360 is the most expensive console ever made, and perhaps 5 times as expensive as the PS3 when you think about the short, short time you'll actually have one that works. The failure is cumulative. Your 360 will fail after the warranty is up. Not a matter of if. Just a matter of when.

I could care less about it, but it's so wierd that someone cares so much they will make up idiotic stories to "hurt" sony. Don't you realize no one believes you and you are helping build the 360 nutball fanboy mystique? If anything, you're just a very clever PS3 fanboy making 360 fans look like idiots. If so, well, well done.

[guy @ Mar 21st 2008 10:01PM]

a crappy game on a crappy console guess that makes sense

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 22nd 2008 1:35AM]

Say whatever you want about the 360, but would you care to explain why you consider "GTA4" crappy... esp. considering it will most likely be the most popular multi-platform game of the year for a good reason.

[Faustus @ Mar 22nd 2008 2:14AM]

"a crappy game on a crappy console guess that makes sense"

... said the Wii owner before returning to his Mario love doll.

[guy @ Mar 22nd 2008 6:22PM]

GTA 4 is nothing new then the last gta games the graphics are shit, its gonna be nothing but sex and drug jokes the whole time. do you really have to put 69 after everything?? ok we get it sex, it wasnt funny the first 8 thousand times they did it. the game brings nothing new to the gameplay of the gta series. the story has no meaning it will only appeal to dumb ass wanna-be gangsters, who only care about killing police because its "cool" to hate the police now. "the cops took away mt ILLEGAL drugs fuck them" yea that makes sense

[Zeus.:God @ Mar 24th 2008 10:24AM]

Guy, that doesn't mean jack shit. The game is fun as Hell, and always will be... I thought the same thing you did when GTA III and Vice City came out, and then I played them. You don't need anything "new", in this game, you need to expand it. The thing that makes these games great is the vast environment and the endless number of things to do.

If you can't have fun doing whatever the fuck you want to do, then you obviously don't know how to have or know what fun is.

[Alan Strangis @ Apr 8th 2008 9:08AM]

Though GTA is far from crappy, I'll take a new Crackdown over it any day.

Unless they've drastically improved the on foot experience. :D

[Gadget Chick @ Mar 21st 2008 10:03PM]

i REALLY REALLY REALLY want one of those :(

[Andrew @ Mar 21st 2008 10:09PM]

I probably came across as snapping there, I apologize. I just grow weary of the constant mine works so they all work argument.

Ugh, its been a long day.

See, this is what happens when you keep GTA4 from me and rub it in my face, the redhead gets grumpy! LEMME PLAY LEMME PLAY!!!

[Mickel @ Mar 21st 2008 10:21PM]

I can't wait for GTA IV to come out, but this console is just worthless propaganda!

[Jubei @ Mar 21st 2008 10:26PM]

Without BR support, or at least a commitment that it will be supported in the near future, purchasing an Xbox today would be a waste of money. PS3 would be a wiser choice.

[Guzzie @ Mar 21st 2008 10:39PM]

...or some people like the games on 360 better and that makes the PS3 utterly useless to them?

[Jubei @ Mar 21st 2008 10:43PM]

If you enjoy the games on an obsolete product that is selling today, then thats fine. As long as your aware of its status in the gaming world as being left behind.

[kyoseki @ Mar 21st 2008 11:04PM]

I'd enjoy the games on my PS3 more if it actually had any.

[Shiba @ Mar 22nd 2008 2:51AM]

Is this guy serious? What a douche. I bet he is one of those people who watch Blu-Ray movies on a SDTV and insists its leaps and bounds better than a DVD. Or worse, one of the people who claim this to be HD. Or are you one of the people drooling over the HDTV you bought at Wal-Mart/Best Buy/ with piss-poor specs?

The 360 is nowhere near obsolete because it doesn't play Blu-Ray movies, Some people buy game consoles for games. In fact game consoles have a history of sucking for movie playback, and they still do in certain cases. I doubt the PS3 really displays Blu-Ray 100% properly. I have one and theres no way its going to remain my main Blu-Ray player once I get the extra cash for something better, I pay bills unlike your bratty ass.

If HD and Blu-Ray is really SO important to you that you'll pull an attitude like this, Go buy a Denon or something so at least it LOOKS like you know what your talking about.

I bet you have never even heard of Denon...idiot. You would shit yourself if you saw/heard my setup. I bet you don't know what a Crown amp is either. Enjoy your Sanyo TV and your Bose speakers.

[Jubei @ Mar 22nd 2008 4:13AM]

@Shiba

Commonality. Within the four paragraphs of your response to my observation of the Xbox future as a viable product, I've assessed you as an echelon of that certain group of special people. I'll give you a tip on why I've given you such high honors. Rather than engage in a civilized debate. You quickly fell into that typical behavior. Personal insults to poster. Assumption of product ignorance of the poster. Broad statements of the superiority of the product being defended. Lastly, assumptions that the poster is of a lower income bracket. Then suggesting to readers you are much more financially successful than the poster by bragging about knowledge of higher end brands. Then immediately making assumptions that the poster can only attain marginal brands, because you assume the poster has a lower income bracket.

In one post you've done it all. Congratulations on having your post immediately considered as irrelevant. Perhaps we should develop a prize for special people like you. :-)

[LordZargon @ Mar 22nd 2008 5:01AM]

He made the point though...

Some people do buy games consoles for games (shockingly). I have a 360, HD DVD driver and I wouldn't change them for the world.

I'll only consider a PS3 when MGS and the latest Gran Turismo get released - but even then, I'd still be cautious. Its a lot of money when only a small handful of the games I'd actually want.

Blu-Ray isn't a big deal to me. I can get High Definition TV and HD DVD will last me for quite a few months yet (there aren't -that- many films on either formats that are to my taste).

If someone asked me "which console would you go for?", I'd reply with "360, unless you want the Blu-Ray features". 360 is cheaper, better games selection and more players. And please, no-one start with the fanboy stuff, I have Playstations, Dreamcasts, Gamecubes... I even still use my old MegaDrive fairly frequently. I get my consoles for the games. I don't care if they're not a powerhouse or play the latest digital media.

If Blu-Ray is a "true" DVD replacement, all I have to do is wait a bit for the prices to drop to a competative, mass-market level.

[Jubei @ Mar 22nd 2008 5:08AM]

@LordZargon

I see your point, and respect your choice. Thanks for the input.

[John Aubrey @ Mar 21st 2008 11:40PM]

Those Halo 3 versions sold so well didn't they.

I worked at Circuit City last xmas, sold maybe 10 halo 3 editions, and 100's of prem versions. Hard to sell a console that costs more, offers no benefit, and you have to go buy halo 3 along separately.

[Ethan @ Mar 22nd 2008 12:12AM]

My Halo 3 console was $30 more than the premium consoles.. which is how much the play and charge kits are.
I hate Halo 3 though.

[Blurrz @ Mar 21st 2008 11:56PM]

I think they could have done better with the design--it doesn't look too interesting with the box art--but I'm sure these will sell out all the same.